Recently, I had the chance to read a book by Peter Shankman, the founder of HARO, a website that connects reporters with qualified sources on demand.
For the past few years, many of the business decisions and actions I took were influenced by his advice I had seen him give in social media, public appearances, and even Youtube videos. To say, “I became an evangelist of his school of thought” is an understatement. He always focuses on getting to the heart of the matter, and lucky for me, he is a huge advocate of great customer service, and friend of Tony Hseih, CEO of Zappos (a company that is well-known for customer satisfaction). Given I was in a position where customer service was primary importance, while balancing sales and social media, what they taught about business was of great importance to me.
This is why I recommend for every voice actor running their own business, the following book! It lights a fire under you that you cannot ignore!
“Nice Companies Finish First – Why Cutthroat Management Is Over and Collaboration Is In”
Now, this book has nothing to do with “how to be a voice talent”, not at all. Some voice actors may look at the title and think, “WHAT!?! The voice over industry is a cutthroat business!”. This book is not inviting anyone to be a doormat. Some would love to have you believe the voice over business is cutthroat because it serves their agenda. Others love being in a cutthroat business because it serves a darker side to an individual who craves drama and conflict. However, when dealing with clients…business is business and drama is for “behind the mic”. Every voice actor, at some point, has to act as their own business, and stop being an artist for a little while. If you can bring to the table a professional side of business no one has ever seen, given the new age of social media communication, the customers will become your best marketing tools. This is an age where no secret exists for too long, and a person who acts in a cutthroat manner focusing only on profit, will not survive.
I also offer this recommendation because those who read this book, may truly begin to understand how I think. I will even say the book restored a faith in myself that I had lost over the past couple of months, even with so many kind and generous voice talent supporting me. For that, I thank all of you. And hey…you never know…you may just find that your attitude towards business is the same as those big companies you find yourself voicing for everyday. That knowledge alone may make you more competitive than someone with great talent, lacking a professional business sense.
Taking one small quote from the book, “Accept ultimate responsibility for the global impact of decisions made at every level of [your] company…because real profits come from doing the right thing.”
Steven Lowell is a blogger, voice actor, and voice-over industry advocate
